
Best Boutique Hotels In Sri Lanka
Storied stays to wild getaways
With its long, sunshine-filled days and scene-stealing beaches, Sri Lanka’s south coast is the island’s original beach destination. The crumbling grandeur of Galle has drawn many a traveller over the years and sleepy beach towns Tangalle, Weligama and Bentota have long appeared on any discerning beach-lover’s map. But if more than a handful of restaurants and a smoothie shack or two sounds busy, the south coast has plenty more up its sleeve in the off-the-grid stakes. We’re talking horseshoe bays with caramel sands and only bobbing fishing boats for company; hidden coves where surfing and swimming in aquamarine waters is a way of life; and quirky, design hotels made for R&R under ubiquitous fronds. And then there’s the food. Traditional Sri Lankan cooking is definitely having a moment and down here in the Deep South, there’s everything from iconic hoppers to fragrant coconut curries and veggie-packed thalis to get your teeth into (literally). The cherry on top of an utterly glorious beach break.
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The selection of places to stay is fabulous. From laidback hideaways and colonial guesthouses to uber-smart villas and all-the-frills suites, everyone will find a place from which to gawp at the ocean in comfort
Tear yourself away from the beach and discover the vivid green lure of lowland tea plantations, animal-filled national parks and ancient rock temples buried deep in the heart of the jungle, all a mere coconut’s throw away from the ocean.
As a general rule of thumb, you’ll find that the closer you are to Colombo, the larger and more commercial the hotels. For the wild and wonderful, head towards Tangalle and the southeast coast
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